German submarine U-482

German submarine ''U-482'' was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's '' Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. She was laid down on 13 February 1942 at Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 317 and went into service on 1 December 1943 under the command of Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen.

''U-482'' began her service by training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla. She then transferred to the 9th, followed by the 11th flotillas.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. ''U-482'' had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . ''U-482'' was fitted with five torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, (220 rounds), one Flak M42 and two twin C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

''U-482'' carried out two war patrols from Bergen in Norway, having sailed briefly to Horten Naval Base (also in Norway), both under Matuschka's command. The first, which began on 14 August 1944, took ''U-482'' off the coast of Ireland. Over a nine-day period, she sank two freighters, the two tankers ''Jacksonville'' and ''Empire Heritage'' as well as the British corvette for a total of and 1,010 tons. It was the single most successful war patrol by a Type VII U-boat in 1944.Blair (2000), 630-631.

''U-482'' mounted a second patrol beginning 18 November, but was sunk with all hands a week later by the British frigate

Fate

During the war it was thought that the ''U-482'' was not sunk until 16 January 1945, and that she had damaged the escort carrier (later determined to be the work of ). Credit for her sinking was given to the ships of British Support Group 22. In the 1990s the British Admiralty revised that assessment and declared that ''U-482'' had possibly struck a mine in the North Channel, off Malin Head, in early December 1944. In 2005 U-boat researcher Axel Niestlé determined that ''U-482'' was probably sunk by the British frigate west of the Shetland Islands on 25 November 1944.

Summary of raiding history

Between August and November 1944 ''U-482'' sailed on two combat patrols, sinking four merchant ships totalling and 1,010 tons .

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

*
*
*
*
* John Petersen: ''Darkest Before Dawn: U-482 and the Sinking of Empire Heritage 1944.'' The History Press, 2011.

External links

*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:U0482
German Type VIIC submarines
U-boats commissioned in 1943
U-boats sunk in 1944
World War II submarines of Germany
1943 ships
Ships built in Kiel
World War II shipwrecks in the Irish Sea
Submarines lost with all hands
U-boats sunk by British warships
Maritime incidents in November 1944